Fix NS_E_SAME_AS_INPUT_COMBINATION (0XC00D1BD2)

When This Error Shows Up

You're encoding a video with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series or a custom app using the Windows Media Format SDK. The profile you loaded references multiple audiences (bitrate tiers). Suddenly the encode fails with NS_E_SAME_AS_INPUT_COMBINATION (0XC00D1BD2). The exact trigger? One audience in the profile uses same as input for video dimensions, while another audience specifies fixed width and height values. That mix trips the validation.

Root Cause

Windows Media profiles have a strict rule: all audiences in a single profile must declare their video output dimensions the same way. Either every audience says same as input, or every audience gives explicit width and height. The reason is that the encoder needs to know how to scale the input stream for each bitrate. If one audience just passes through the source resolution and the other forces a resize, the encoder can't build a consistent multi-bitrate stream. It doesn't know whether to keep the original pixels or resample them.

What's actually happening here is the profile's WM_MEDIA_TYPE for video has a pbFormat with a BITMAPINFOHEADER. That header carries the width and height. When you set same as input, the SDK leaves those fields at zero to signal pass-through. Mixing zero and non-zero across audiences breaks the internal consistency check that runs before encoding starts.

The Fix

You have two paths. Pick the one that matches your use case.

Option A: Force Same As Input for All Audiences

Open your profile in a text editor (if it's a PRX file) or in the Windows Media Encoder profile editor.
For each audience, locate the video media type section. Look for width and height attributes.
Set both to 0 (or remove them entirely, depending on the format). In PRX files, the entry looks like:
```
<video>
  <width>0</width>
  <height>0</height>
</video>
```
Save the profile and reload it in your encoder.

Option B: Specify Fixed Dimensions for Every Audience

Decide on a target resolution, say 1280x720.
In each audience's video settings, enter that same width and height. Don't leave any audience as same as input.
Make sure the aspect ratio matches your source, or the encoder will stretch the video.
Save and reload.

Which one to choose? If your source is unpredictable (like user-uploaded clips), go with same as input everywhere. If you need consistent output for a streaming platform, specify fixed dimensions. The error isn't picky; it just wants consistency.

Still Failing? Check These

If you've aligned the dimensions and the error persists, the problem might be elsewhere:

Hidden audiences: Some profiles have a bitrate list that includes an extra audience you didn't see. Open the profile in the Windows Media Encoder UI and cycle through every bitrate tab.
Frame rate mismatch: A similar validation checks frame rate consistency. If one audience says same as input for FPS and another sets a fixed value, you'll get a different error code, but worth verifying.
Corrupt profile cache: On Windows 7 and earlier, the encoder caches profiles. Delete %ProgramData%\Windows Media\WMSDKNS.x64.dll (or the 32-bit version) and restart the app. That forces a rebuild.

The fix is simple once you see the pattern: the encoder expects all audiences to agree on how they handle resolution. Set them all the same way and you're done.